The Port of Long Beach saw a 6.6% increase in cargo volume growth in November, 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, which is the fifth straight month of increases and enough cargo to rack up the second-busiest November in the port’s 104-year history.
A total of more than 619,000 TEU moved through the port in November, 2015, with imports up 4.3% to more than 306,000 TEU.
Jon Slangerup, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, said: “Thanks to our industry partners, we have had consistent gains throughout 2015 and are on track to move more than seven million TEU this year.
“Retailers have reported a modest but healthy holiday season, which keeps us busy and the economy growing.”
Read a Technical Paper on how Long Beach is driving the US
Based on current projections for December, the port expects to pass seven million TEU in 2015, which would be only the third time in its 104-year history.
The other two times were in 2006 and 2007, when the Port of Long Beach reached 7.29 million and 7.31 million containers, respectively.
In the year to date, the port was 5.5% ahead of the same period in 2014.
With this decade’s $4 billion capital program to modernise its facilities, the Port of Long Beach is building the ‘Port of the Future’ by investing in capital and service improvements that will bring long-term, environmentally sustainable growth.
In comparison to the significant drop in volumes seen in early 2015 as a result of the US West Coast port shutdown, the Port of Long Beach has been able to tackle congestion and improve throughput.
Read a Technical Paper on how the US West Coast tackled congestion